


Crystal Rangers

by Do_Whatever_You_Want_Im_Super_Dead



Category: Power Rangers
Genre: Don't Have to Know Canon, I Don't Even Know, It's been a long time since I've uploaded this anywhere
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-15
Updated: 2020-04-14
Packaged: 2021-03-02 05:20:19
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 8
Words: 16,124
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23659753
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Do_Whatever_You_Want_Im_Super_Dead/pseuds/Do_Whatever_You_Want_Im_Super_Dead
Summary: Before the Mighty Morphin Power Rangers, there were the Crystal Rangers, who guarded Earth together with the help of their DragonZords. But when one betrayed them, they sealed him away before losing their powers. Now he is free again, and it is up to a new generation of Crystal Rangers to stop him. But there is one missing, and they must find them before it's too late - or another buckles under the pressure.





	1. Origins

**Author's Note:**

> Wow, it's been a long time since I've uploaded anything for this fic! It was originally published on FanFiction.net, but I abandoned the work because I couldn't really figure out what to do next. I had a lot of stuff going for this, though, so at the behest of one of my friends, I'm transferring it here! I hope you all enjoy what I've got, and after everything I've written is up, then I'll mark it as a finished work, the reason being that I may want to revamp this someday. 
> 
> Let me know how it is and what can be improved! I love hearing from everyone in the comments section.

Thousands of Years Ago…..

The Crystal Rangers collapsed on the ground, their DragonZords perching on their shoulders as the team fell. Standing in front of them was one of their own, the Green Ranger, fighting them on the side of evil.

“Remonse, you don’t have to do this!” the Red Ranger, Zordon, begged of him. “You don’t realize what Rita is telling you! You don’t realize what you are causing!”

“On the contrary, old friend, I know _exactly_ what I’m doing,” Remonse, the Green Ranger, called back to Zordon. “I’m going to destroy you – and help my empress take control of this world!”

“Not if we have anything to do with it!” Zordon yelled back. He called to the other Rangers, “Rangers! Together!”

They all took their weapons and combined them into a cannon, then shot it at Remonse. Remonse only laughed as he was being knocked back.

“You think that can destroy me?” he asked in a condescending way. “I am still the Green Ranger, Zordon. You have no power over me as long as that stays true!”

“Then I can at least stop you from taking this world for Rita,” Zordon vowed, then nodded to his DragonZord.

The deep red, half-foot tall gem dragon took off, the others joining him. They all flew towards Remonse and his Green DragonZord. They circled around the pair faster than their eyes could follow so that all that could be seen were streaks of red, blue, black, pink, yellow, and white. Remonse and his DragonZord were now trapped, and Zordon used his power to push the pair into a cave, then the DragonZords sealed the cave. Zordon sighed, demorphing. Their job was far from over, but as the Crystal Rangers, their time had come to end their conflict. It would be up to Zordon to trap Rita, as he was one of the few others with powers, and the DragonZord guardians would hide the Power Gems all over the continent so that Rita wouldn’t find them, at least not easily. The Rangers all felt their Power Gems break the connection between the Rangers and the Gems, and the guardians took the gems into their claws, flying off and carrying them in whatever direction they could.

Zordon sighed. It was time to battle Rita.

Present Day

**Zordon**

Twenty years had passed since the final defeat of Rita Repulsa and Lord Zedd, but Zordon could still feel that there was another evil one out there, biding his time until he felt it was good to attack. Even in the time warp, Zordon could feel the evil coming from his former teammate. He sighed.

“What is it, Zordon?” Alpha V asked, looking up at his master from the controls in the Command Center.

“I sense that our work here isn’t done, Alpha,” Zordon replied, “although I fear that our Power Rangers cannot be of help.”

“Well, they aren’t teenagers any longer,” Alpha pointed out.

It was true. Everyone from the old Power Rangers team had grown up and started families of their own, pursued lives of their own. They had long since given up the Power Coins to Zordon, and Zordon knew that the power had run out in the coins from the final defeat of Rita and Zedd. He bid the Power Rangers of that time keep them as a memory of their time as Power Rangers, and as tokens of his everlasting friendship with them. They all thanked him and bid him farewell, returning once a year for an anniversary celebration of Rita and Zedd’s defeat.

Zordon sighed. “Then let’s hope that the Power Gems have found the Rangers to bond with,” he said. “I fear that an old enemy may be planning his next move.”

**Dan**

Dan rode on his horse as he herded the cattle and bulls to his family’s Texan ranch, noticing that one was missing. He called out to one of his brothers to finish the job and spurred his horse, making him gallop towards where Dan had an idea as to where the missing bull had gone. He stopped at the entrance to a cave, where he saw a cow patty outside of the cave’s entrance. He heard a moo come out from the cave, then followed it on his horse.

“Okay, this cave totally isn’t creepy at all,” he thought out loud as he went onward, keeping an eye out for the bull.

He then noticed a red glow that intrigued him. He knew he had to find the bull, but the pull of the red light… it was enticing to the teen. He followed it to find the source: a glowing red gem in the rock. He reached a hand to get it, then pried it out with his bare fingers. The gem glowed for a moment before the light wrapped itself around Dan, lifting him off of his horse for a moment. He could only look at himself in awe as the light seemed to enter every pore of his body and become a part of the very core of his being. It eventually set him down gently back on his horse.

He looked at the gem, now no longer glowing, and said, “Wow, that was weird.”

“Woah, it bonded with you!” a small voice came from where he took the gem out, and Dan looked to find a ruby-colored gem dragon poking its head out of the hole where the gem once was.

“Dude! An actual dragon!” he exclaimed, staring at the dragon.

“DragonZord, to be precise,” the creature clarified before clearing its breath. “I am Ruby, guardian of the Red Power Gem. You, young man, are the new Red Crystal Ranger. What’s your name?”

“Uh… Dan,” Dan replied. “Okay, this day just got really weird,” he muttered, looking at his Power Gem.

Suddenly, a group of claylike humanoids came from around the corner, catching Dan’s eye. They spoke an incomprehensible language, but they wielded clubs and looked like they were planning on attacking Dan and his horse.

Dan dismounted, ready to fight, and Ruby said, “Now wait a moment! You’re going to need to morph to fight these guys off!”

“Morph? What are you talking about?” Dan asked.

“Just hold the Power Gem in front of you, then call out my name!” Ruby instructed.

Dan sighed. “Well, this day’s already gotten super weird, so I might as well…” He held the Power Gem out in front of him and called out, “Ruby!”

The Gem glowed like it did before, and it enveloped him in red light, transforming him from the inside out. When the light died down, Dan saw that he was wearing a red skintight suit with a gemstone cut pattern all along the suit, and he was wearing a helmet. What was on the helmet, he had no idea. On his chest was a pattern with three white diamonds, and on his hands were form-fitting gloves. On his feet were boots, and the boots, gloves, and chest shared the same design. A simple white belt with no discernable belt buckle was around his waist, and he pumped his fist in the air.

“Damn, this is awesome!” he said, deciding to try it out.

He kicked out at one humanoid, and it was knocked back, off of its feet. He smiled and punched another, then kicked out at the last one. He smiled as he saw them all melt into the ground.

He then realized he had a dilemma, and asked Ruby, “Uh… how do I get out of this costume?”

Ruby smiled and perched on his shoulder. “Just cross your arms over your chest with your hands in fists. That will make you demorph, and the Power Gem will be back in your hand.”

Dan did so, and he found that the red light from earlier glowed around him again, and once the light disappeared, he found himself back to normal.

“Woah… this is unreal,” he muttered.

“Well, it’s official! You’re a Crystal Ranger!” Ruby exclaimed, jumping off of Dan’s shoulder and doing a somersault in the air. Ruby then looked back at Dan, asking, “So what did you originally come in here for?”

Dan was taken back by the question at first, then replied, “I lost one of my bulls, and I think he’s in here. I came in here to find him.”

“Ah, I know where he’s at. Follow me.”

Dan mounted his horse again and followed Ruby to the bull, who was drinking water from the underground stream. Dan took a rope and roped the bull, dragging him out of the cave and back to the herd. Ruby hid in one of Dan’s saddlebags, and Dan was grateful for that. He didn’t know how to explain to his parents that he had a dragon in his saddlebags.

Ruby hid around Dan and followed him into the house, and that evening, they started talking.

“So, now that you’re officially a Crystal Ranger, there are three rules that you must follow,” Ruby was saying. “One: never use your power for personal gain. Two: you must never escalate a battle unless your enemy forces you to. Third and finally: never let anybody know that you are a Crystal Ranger.”

“All right, no using my powers for personal gain, don’t escalate battles unless I’m forced to, never tell anyone I’m a Crystal Ranger. Got it,” he said. “Does the third one count for other Rangers?”

“No, since they’re Crystal Rangers, as well.”

“Gotcha. Thanks, Ruby.”

“You’re welcome, Dan.”

**Thor**

Most of the others – Will, Shawn, Maria, Pandora, and Blake – found their gems in similar ways, each with their own Gem – black Obsidian, blue Sapphire, pink Rose Quartz, yellow Topaz, and white Diamond, respectively. But there was one more Gem to find, and Thor was the lucky – or rather, unlucky – guy to find it.

His family had decided to take a break from the hustle and bustle of New York City life, so they took a trip across the state. Thor liked to explore the countryside of New York state, and soon found himself at a sealed cave.

“I wonder where that leads…” he thought aloud as he began to dig through the sealed entrance, then after about half an hour finally managed to get to the other side. After that, it was easier to get the rest of the dirt away, and he found an ornate hallway hidden in the mountainside (he was by the Appalachian mountains). He followed it to find a humanoid sitting on a throne who looked curious and – dare Thor think it – extremely interested in his new visitor. The humanoid had greenish skin and was bald, although he looked very intimidating.

“Ah, it looks like someone was able to break the seal,” the humanoid announced, getting off of his throne and walking up to Thor. He bowed, saying, “Thank you, young… human…”

“My name is Thor,” Thor introduced himself. “And you are…?”

“Oh, forgive my rudeness, Thor,” the humanoid quickly said. “I am the Dark Lord Remonse. Pleased to make your acquaintance. Please, allow me to express my gratitude.”

He held out a strange gem with a little green dragon by it, and when Thor put his hand near the gem, it glowed green. Thor took his hand back suddenly, but reached for it again and grasped it, its power enveloping him like it had Dan (although Thor and Dan had never met in their lives). When the light died down, Remonse seemed to be in shock and awe.

“So you ARE the new Green Crystal Ranger…” Remonse said.

“Green Crystal Ranger?” Thor asked, unsure of what Remonse was saying.

Remonse smiled. “It means that you have an enormous amount of power. I can teach you how to use it, if you’ll let me.”

“Really?” Thor asked. He was fully willing to believe Remonse (given all that had happened just then), and Remonse could see something in Thor that Thor usually tried to hide.

“Really. It can help you get friends, protect others, whatever you wish…” he offered, his voice becoming like honey.

Thor became very interested in Remonse’s words. “Teach me. I’ll do whatever you wish; just teach me how to use these powers.”

Remonse smiled wider. “Of course.”


	2. Moving Day

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Crystal Rangers move into their dorms at Angel Grove University.

Each Crystal Ranger walked onto the campus of Angel Grove University, excited for the opportunities that the next school year brought. It was all of their freshman year of college, and they all were excited for the new opportunities.

Dan, wearing his favorite red shirt and blue jeans, walked from his car while carrying a suitcase and a manila envelope to Ranger Hall, a residence hall named so in honor of the Power Rangers who had defeated Rita Repulsa and Lord Zedd so long ago. Of course, to out-of-town students, the hall was simply an odd name to a cool building. The hall was practically rainbow-colored in its color scheme with a color from each Ranger. To non-Angel Grove residents, however, this was an opening for the LGBT community that was growing at the university.

Dan went up to the elevator, his father following him while carrying a mini-fridge. Dan opened the elevator doors, and he and his father joined the hoarde of students and parents also entering the elevator, barely fitting. They went up to the third floor, where Dan’s room was, and they went down the hallway and found Dan’s room: #325. Dan opened the envelope and took out his room key, opening the door with the key. His roommate hadn’t arrived yet, and he took the opportunity to take the already-lofted bed on the left side of the room. He and his father put their things under the bed, Dan leaning towards the suitcase.

“All right, Ruby, remember, don’t come out until I say so,” he whispered into the suitcase.

“I know, Dan, I know, we talked about this,” the red DragonZord replied.

Meanwhile, Thor, who wore a green tank top with blue jeans (but forgoing his favorite leather jacket due to warm weather), was doing the same thing, and he found that his room number in Ranger Hall was #325. He entered the room, noticing Dan about to get out.

“Are you my new roommate?” he asked, putting his things down by his own half-lofted bed.

“Is this your room number?” Dan asked.

“Yeah, it is.”

“Then I’m your new roommate. Name’s Dan. Pleasure to meet ya.”

“I’m Thor. It’s good to meet you, too.”

The two boys shook hands, then headed out of the room together.

“How much stuff you still got to carry up?” Dan asked.

“Well, I’ve got the microwave, a couple more suitcases, and my electronics. You?”

“I’ve got a few suitcases and a box of stuff, but that’s it.”

“All right. I look forward to being your roommate.”

“As do I, Thunder-God.”

“Thunder-God?”

“Yeah. Isn’t Thor the name of the god of thunder?”

“Oh, yeah, I nearly forgot.”

By this time, they had reached the stairwell, which was just as packed as the elevator. Dan bumped into a girl who was wearing very revealing pink clothing who as carrying suitcases up the stairs.

“Hey! Watch where you’re going!” she said.

“Oh, I’m so sorry!” Dan replied while Thor watched the exchange.

The girl huffed. “Well, at least you could watch where you’re going.”

“Hey, did you see how crowded this stairwell is?” Dan asked, exasperated. “Honestly, we’re lucky that neither of us fell over!”

The girl stopped, then said, “You’re right, you’re right. I’m sorry, it’s just… it’s moving day, and I’m a bit stressed. My name’s Maria. You two are…?”

“My name’s Dan, and this is my roommate, Thor.”

“Pleased to meet you both,” Maria replied. “Well, I better get my stuff to my room. I’ll see you guys around?”

“Yeah, definitely, Maria,” Dan replied.

“See you around, Maria,” Thor said.

The two boys went back to their cars a few more times to get the remainder of their things, and on their way back to their room in the final trip, they bumped into two boys who were also carrying boxes.

“Oh, I’m sorry!” Dan immediately said, looking around the box he was carrying towards the people he bumped into.

“It’s all right, nothing’s broken!” one of the boys replied. The boys all turned to get a better look at each other, and Dan somewhat recognized them. He saw that one was wearing a blue Oxford shirt and black dress pants, while the other wore a black tank top and jeans.

“You’re in the room next door, aren’t you? Room #326?” he asked them.

“Yeah. You’re in room #325?” the boy who had answered the first time said.

“Yeah. I’m Dan, and this is my roommate, Thor.”

“Nice to meet you. I’m Shawn, and this is my roommate, Will.”

“Good to meet you two,” Thor greeted.

“Come on, let’s get our boxes to our room,” Will (the boy in the tank top) said to Shawn (the boy in the blue Oxford).

“Yeah…” Shawn replied, hurrying to catch up with Will.

Dan and Thor both continued to their room, as well, and they bid their folks goodbye before unpacking their things. Ruby and Emerald could sense each other and immediately jumped out of their respective hiding places.

“Ruby? Is that really you? After all these years?” Emerald asked.

“Emerald? You’re alive?!” Ruby asked in reply.

Dan and Thor, looking at their respective DragonZords in shock, then at each other, both could only gape at the sight.

Dan was the first to get out of the spell of shock. “You’re a Crystal Ranger?”

“YOU’RE a Crystal Ranger?!” Thor replied.

“It would seem so,” Ruby replied. “I am Ruby, the red DragonZord,” he introduced himself, bowing respectfully to Thor.

“And I am Emerald, the green DragonZord,” Emerald introduced himself to Dan, bowing in turn.

“I’m Dan, the Red Crystal Ranger,” Dan introduced himself to Emerald.

“And I’m Thor, the Green Crystal Ranger,” Thor said in turn to Ruby.

“Oh, this is wonderful!” Ruby said in glee. “Everyone’s in the same area again!”

“Wait, what do you mean?” Dan asked.


	3. Introductions and Visions

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Crystal Rangers meet Zordon, and Tommy Oliver shares some disturbing dreams he's been having.

Before he had time to answer, five more DragonZords flew into the room, followed by five very concerned people, colors matching the person to their DragonZord. Dan realized that Maria, Shawn, and Will were among the people following their DragonZord to the room. The DragonZords all celebrated their reunion while the seven people only looked at each other.

Ruby seemed to notice the confusion on the people’s faces. “Ah, guys? Perhaps we owe these guys explanations.”

The blue DragonZord looked at them all and nodded. “I agree, Ruby.” He turned his attention to the group of students, saying, “Ah, how do I say this… well, to start off with, Crystal Rangers, I guess introductions are in order. I am Sapphire, DragonZord guardian of the blue Power Gem. These guys are, Ruby, Obsidian, Rose Quartz, Topaz, Emerald, and Diamond,” he introduced the other DragonZords, gesturing to the red, black, pink, yellow, green, and white DragonZords, respectively. “Now I suggest that you all introduce yourselves to the rest of the group so that you know who your new teammates are.”

“Wait, our new teammates?” Will asked. “I’m sorry, but people and me don’t mix.”

“Oh, come on, Will, you didn’t expect to be a Crystal Ranger by yourself, did you?” Shawn asked his roommate. He turned back to the rest of the group. “I’m Shawn, the blue Crystal Ranger. Will here’s the black Ranger.”

“I’m Maria, and I’m the pink Ranger,” Maria said.

“My name’s Pandora, and I’m the yellow Ranger.”

“I’m Thor, and I’m the green Ranger.”

“Name’s Blake, and I’m the white Ranger.”

Dan introduced himself last, saying, “I’m Dan, and I’m the red Crystal Ranger.”

“All right, we’re all introduced to each other, now we got to get you to Zordon!” Ruby said, overexcited and taking charge.

Each DragonZord started flying around their Crystal Ranger, and the Rangers could see nothing until the world stopped spinning to reveal the inside of the Command Center. Shawn and Will marveled at the technological wonders inside of the center, but everyone else looked around with wariness, unsure of what to expect. The DragonZords flew towards the main control panels, excited.

Suddenly, a bald, floating head appeared at the head of the main controls while a retro-style robot walked out.

“What’s going on, Zordon?” the robot asked.

“Don’t worry, Alpha, it’s the Crystal DragonZord guardians,” the head replied, smiling as he looked at the DragonZords. “Emerald, it is good to see you again, old friend.”

“And you, as well, Zordon,” Emerald replied.

By this time the Rangers had walked into the main circle of controls. Each DragonZord perched on their respective Ranger’s shoulders.

“Zordon, meet the next generation of Crystal Rangers!” Ruby called out. “Mine’s Dan, Will’s with Obsidian, Shawn’s with Sapphire, Maria’s with Rose Quartz, Pandora’s with Topaz, Thor’s with Emerald, and Blake’s with Diamond!”

“Rangers, welcome,” the head greeted the Rangers. “I am Zordon, an interdimensional being caught in a time warp.”

“And I am Alpha V,” the robot introduced himself.

“Okay… you know these guys?” Dan asked, referring to the DragonZords.

“Yes. Once I was a Crystal Ranger myself, the red one,” Zordon replied. “Emerald, I feel inclined to ask: did you ever escape from Remonse?”

Emerald and Thor shared a hidden sideways glance before Emerald said, “I did, Zordon, although his power is growing. I’m lucky I ran into Thor, or else I would have been easier to find, wandering around, trying to find the next Green Ranger.”

Zordon smiled kindly. “I am very happy to hear that you escaped, Emerald.” His face then turned grave. “I am also concerned. If Remonse ever is released from his prison, he will do everything within his power to destroy Earth.”

Thor and Emerald had to hide their feelings of somewhat betrayal.

After some conversation between the Rangers and Zordon which seemed to go nowhere after all that the DragonZords had already told them, everyone decided to go back to the university. Zordon gave them each two things before they went back: a bracelet that would hold their Power Gems and make it easier to morph when they needed to, and a communicator so they could call the Command Center when needed.

Once the DragonZords returned them to Dan and Thor’s dorm room, everyone only stood a moment in silence, taking in what had just occurred.

Shawn decided to take the initiative. “Well, I think it’s only fair if we know where we are all living here on campus so we can keep in relative contact. We’re a team, after all; it’s the logical thing to do.”

“I agree with Shawn,” Dan replied. “I guess I’ll start off. You’re standing in the room Thor and I share right now.”

“Will and I live right next door,” Shawn added.

“I live just down the hall on the girl’s side with Pandora,” Maria said.

“I live at the end of the girl’s hall by myself,” Blake ended the string of replies softly.

“Ah. All right, we all live up here, that’s good. I guess we… we just try to keep in contact with each other and… become closer as friends,” Dan said, gears turning in his mind.

**Zordon**

Meanwhile, back at the command center, Zordon and Alpha were having a conversation about the newly-revealed Crystal Rangers.

“Should I contact the old Power Rangers, Zordon?” Alpha was asking.

“No, Alpha; they have lives that would not allow for them to return as Power Rangers, even if their Power Coins still had power,” Zordon replied.

“What about Thor, then? He’s the Green Ranger now, and we know what happened to the last one.”

“I know, Alpha. That’s why I am concerned for him. I fear that Emerald may not have been completely honest with us earlier.”

“What do you mean, Zordon?”

“I mean that it is possible for Thor to have met Remonse and possibly joined his side.”

“That’s terrible news if it’s true!”

“I know, Alpha. I know all too well. We still remember what happened with Tommy.”

“Maybe we should tell him, at least? He’s teaching at the school they go to, so he’ll probably see them anyway.”

“A wonderful idea, Alpha. Contact him immediately.”

Alpha pressed a couple of buttons on the control console, then a moment later Tommy appeared in a ball of green-and-white light. He was definitely 20 years older than he was as a Power Ranger, and he now wore his long, brown hair in a ponytail, and a goatee graced his facial features, along with the lines of 20 years of aging. His body was definitely more defined at this point in his life, and his “at ease” stance was much like it was when he was a Ranger.

Not much had changed, in other words.

“You wanted to talk to me, Zordon?” he asked, confused.

“Yes, Tommy. The Power Gems have chosen the ones to bond with, and they are finally together. I have concern for the Green Ranger in the team, though.”

“Because of Remonse?”

“Exactly, Tommy. Behold the viewing globe.”

Tommy walked to the end of the control console with the viewing globe, and he saw a humanoid that had greenish skin and was bald, then saw the humanoid hold out a Power Gem in front of him and morph into the Green Ranger. The Ranger then fought his fellow Power Rangers and nearly won. It was only after a long battle when the Green Ranger was defeated by being trapped in a mountain. The Power Gems severed the bond, and the DragonZords carried them off into hiding.

“Remonse was once a Crystal Ranger himself, but was corrupted by Rita Repulsa, and he defected to her side. He nearly destroyed the Crystal Rangers, but we were able to defeat him – at great cost. Now he has become free, and I fear that Thor was his unwitting accomplice in his escape.”

Tommy turned back to Zordon. “You’ve told me about Remonse once before, when I had that… vision, you called it? Anyway, I… I had another one, last night.” He looked down and took a deep breath before looking back up and continuing. “It was about the Green Ranger. He… he had a huge decision to make, and he was torn between good and evil. I saw both sides of his decision’s consequences. When he chose evil, he helped Remonse destroy the world, but lost his bond with the green Power Gem. When he chose good, he helped the Crystal Rangers defeat Remonse, but he was alone.”

Zordon nodded (as best as a floating head could nod) and said, “I believe that it may be up to you to help Thor. He is the Green Ranger now, and this decision falls on his shoulders. If history repeats itself, either the Rangers will be forced to do what I once had to, or they will be destroyed. We must do everything we can to make sure it doesn’t happen.”

“Zordon, don’t forget that we must not do it so forcefully that he will definitely go to Remonse’s side,” Tommy reminded him. “He is the one who must make his choice.”

“I agree, Tommy,” Zordon replied. “Help him out as much as you can, and perhaps we can prevent history from repeating itself.”

“I will, Zordon.”

“Then may the Power protect you, Tommy.”


	4. Thor's Knot

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Thor has some disturbing visions, and begins to seriously have second thoughts about his loyalties.

Back at the university, Maria had made a movie night for the newly-brought-together Crystal Rangers so that they had an opportunity to bond. Maria had a bunch of different movies across multiple genres, and hoped that they would find something that everyone would love. She also provided the popcorn and snacks for the movie, making sure she accommodated for if anyone had allergies. Everyone put on their pajamas and started making their way to Maria’s room.

“Hey, Thor, we’re going to be late!” Dan said as he pulled a shirt on and Ruby perched on his shoulder.

“I’ll catch up with you, Dan,” Thor replied, writing something. “I just have something I need to do.”

“All right, I’ll tell them,” Dan assured him before going out the door, making sure his room key was in his pajama pants pocket before leaving. He only looked back once before shutting the door.

Once the door was shut, Thor took out one more thing from his suitcase that he planned to put on his dresser: a small mirror that served as a communication module to Remonse. He placed his Power Gem on the mirror, and Remonse’s face appeared.

“What’s your report, Thor?” the Dark Lord inquired.

“I have met the other Gem Rangers, my lord. They are all going to the same university as I, as you have foretold,” Thor replied, bowing in his seat. He straightened up, saying, “The Red Ranger is my current roommate, and the rest of the Rangers live in the same hall and floor as I do.”

“Excellent; this will make our job easier, knowing that they will all be in one place. The sooner the Rangers are destroyed, the sooner you will reach your full potential.” Remonse’s smile was one of ferality, although Thor knew that it was to the Power Rangers and not to him, especially since Thor had pledged his loyalty to Remonse when he first met him.

“Indeed, my lord.”

“Right now, your first mission is to gain their trust. That way, when it is time to destroy them, they will be destroyed from the inside and outside.”

“Of course, my lord. As you wish.”

“Excellent, Thor. I look forward to your next report.”

The mirror rippled back to normal, and Thor put his room key into his pocket before Emerald perched on Thor’s shoulder and the two left the room. Thor couldn’t help but feel something fighting inside of him, as if he was –

He didn’t get time to figure that out, as he arrived at Maria’s room. Her door was open, and everyone else had already arrived. They were all sitting either on a set of chairs under a lofted bed or on the floor in front of them, and they were all facing a television under the other lofted bed.

Maria saw him and said, “Oh, Thor, finally! We were starting to wonder if you were going to arrive in time!”

“Yeah, what was taking you so long?” Pandora asked.

“Something I needed to get done. Didn’t Dan tell you guys?” Thor asked, confused.

“He said you needed to do something, but you took longer than we thought you would. We’re just worried,” Maria said.

Thor sighed. “All right, you guys win this one. Anyway, what’re we watching?”

“We’re still divided on _Nightmare Before Christmas_ and _Coraline_ ,” Dan explained. “You are our deciding vote.”

“I’m all for _Nightmare_ , but I’ve never seen _Coraline_ ,” Thor said.

“That’s it!” Maria said, dragging Thor into the room and seating him down in front of Dan’s chair, which was in the middle of the group. “We’re watching _Coraline_ so you can see it for the first time!”

So everyone watched _Coraline_. Maria couldn’t help but sing along to the mumbo-jumbo lyrics in the background, but no one minded. Thor watched as the movie told the story, and he had to admit – it really was a good movie. All throughout the movie, Maria provided popcorn and other snacks, and everyone agreed that if they were to have any more movie nights, they would be at Maria’s and Pandora’s room.

After the movie, Blake came up to Thor, Diamond perched on her shoulder. “Hey, Thor, can we talk? Alone?”

Thor and Emerald followed Blake to a living area in the floor, and asked, “What is it, Blake?”

“I know your secret,” Blake said outright. “I know you’ve already pledged yourself to Remonse.”

Thor and Emerald tried to protest, but Blake held a hand out, stopping them.

“Don’t try lying to me. I’m able to see past people’s lies. They tell them not with their lips, but with their eyes and bodies. Yours tell me that you met Remonse when you found Emerald – or something to that nature. You promised him your loyalty, and now you’re his spy. I ought to tell everyone here your secret.” She took a step closer to Thor. “But I’m not. You’re going to have to make a choice eventually, Thor, and you will have to live with the consequences of that choice. I just hope you make the right one.”

Blake turned around to walk away, but Thor reached out a hand and said, “Wait. How can you read people like that? Is it one of your abilities?”

Blake turned her head, saying, “I’ve been studying how to do it since I was six. I’ve been able to do it since three years ago. Don’t underestimate my abilities, Thor.”

“I’m not. I’m just asking how you knew how to do that.”

“Fair enough. Good night, Thor.”

“Good night, Blake.”

Thor and Blake walked back to their dorm rooms, and Thor found that Dan was already in his loft bed.

“Hey, Thor. Cool mirror,” Dan greeted, gesturing to the mirror on Thor’s desk.

Thor looked at the mirror, then back at Dan, smiled, and said, “Oh, thanks. I… I got it from a relative of mine,” he lied, rubbing the back of his neck.

“Well, that’s cool,” Dan replied, buying the lie. “Well, we got class in the morning, so I’m going to sleep. G’night.”

“Good night.”

Emerald and Ruby both went on the desks and curled up, going to sleep almost immediately. Dan turned over and went to sleep, as well.

It took Thor almost half an hour to finally go to sleep.

_ When Thor dreamed, it wasn’t like a normal dream that one would simply waltz on through – it was like it was actually happening, and they always came true. Oddly enough, it didn’t start being that way until he bonded with the green Power Gem.  _

_ This time, he was in the middle of a battle alongside the Crystal Rangers, and he heard Remonse’s voice saying, “Now is the time, Thor. Strike them, and destroy them!” _

_ Thor raised his dagger, ready to do so, but he heard two voices scream out, “Thor! No!” _

_ He looked harder, and realized that it was Dan and – was that a professor? The professor held out something that looked like a belt buckle and yelled out, “Dragonzord!” and transformed into a Ranger similar to Thor, but his helmet looked like the head of a dragon, and his suit didn’t have a crystalline design all along it. _

_ “DESTROY THEM!” Remonse screamed at Thor, and his head exploded with pain. All he could do was hold his head and scream out from the pain, falling down and falling into an almost-fetal position. _

When he woke up, he jerked up, covered head-to-toe with sweat. He held his head and found that there was still a leftover bit of the pain from the dream. He took some deep breaths, then went to take a shower. Once he came back, Emerald was awake, and Dan and Ruby were gone.

“Another vision?” Emerald asked.

“Yeah. They’re getting more terrifying,” Thor replied, sitting down as he pulled on some socks and shoes. “In this one, there was another Green Ranger, but he wasn’t a Crystal Ranger. Remonse was telling me to destroy the Crystal Rangers, and Dan and this other Green Ranger were telling me not to. Then I got this awful headache… then I woke up.”

“I just wish I knew how to help you, but no Green Ranger before you ever had a vision – ever.”

“You’ve said that. I wonder if it has something to do with Remonse being released.”

“I think so, too, but let’s see what we can do. After all, you know what he’ll do to your family if you don’t do his will.”

“I know very well…”

Thor sighed and picked up his books that he needed that day, then put them in his bag, leaving it open for Emerald to come with him. He also grabbed his gym bag, since he had to meet up with a professor after class in the gym locker room.


	5. A Meeting Between Greens

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Thor meets Tommy, and they each learn things about the other that may help them understand their visions better.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, just to say, some of the content of this chapter was why I never really went on with this fanfiction. You'll see what I mean.

He went out and went to his classes before meeting with the professor at the gym at 1:00.

The professor had a goatee and long, brown hair tied back in a ponytail. He wore a green tank top and black baggy shorts that were tied tight around his waist. He looked just like the Green Ranger from his vision.

The professor smiled at Thor and held his hand out, saying, “Hey! You must be Thor. I’m Doctor Oliver, but you can call me Tommy here.”

Thor took Tommy’s hand and shook it. “Pleased to meet you, Tommy.”

While Thor changed into his gym clothing, Tommy said lightly, “I know you’re the Green Crystal Ranger.”

Thor quickly turned around, a look of shock on his face.

“That’s all right, Zordon told me,” Tommy assured him.

Emerald took the opportunity to peek out at Tommy.

“I’ve heard of you from the other DragonZords guardians!” Emerald exclaimed. “You were the Green Power Ranger of the Power Coins!”

Tommy took an exaggerated bow. “Guilty as charged. Tommy Oliver, at your service. You must be Emerald.”

Emerald and Thor couldn’t help but laugh. Once Thor was ready, he, Tommy, and Emerald walked to the room where there was usually Zumba classes. Today, though, Thor was beginning his advanced martial arts with Tommy as his teacher.

Tommy noticed that Thor was increasingly distracted as time went on. After about fifteen minutes, he stopped Thor in the middle of a kick. When Thor sat down on the floor with Tommy, Tommy looked at him.

“Martial arts requires focus of both body and mind,” Tommy explained. “Your mind is very distracted, and I can tell that it’s not from school.”

Thor sighed. “It’s kinda complicated.”

“You think you’re complicated?” Tommy asked, laughing. “You’re looking at the Power Ranger that was so different from the other Rangers he wasn’t a regular part of the team. Seriously, I was once an ally of Rita Repulsa.”

“You were?” Thor asked in surprise.

“I was.”

“Why did you leave?”

“It’s a weird story. When I first moved here to Angel Grove, I met the Power Rangers – then I met Rita Repulsa. She said she had chosen me, and put me under a mind control spell so that she would be my Empress and I her evil Green Ranger. I… I was like that for about a week before the Power Rangers finally broke Rita’s spell over me and offered me a place in the team. Ever since, I was a Power Ranger, not wanting to ever go back to that ever again.” He shook his head. “I guess that’s what happens.” He looked at Thor again. “Judging by your surprise and your question, I think you’ve already joined Remonse’s side.”

Thor sighed. “Blake figured that out, too. She’s the White Crystal Ranger.”

“You don’t protest? Usually one would.”

“Why deny it? Everyone’s going to figure it out eventually, I know it!”

Tommy looked into Thor’s eyes, realizing that there was legitimate fear in them, but not fear of being discovered. It was a different kind of fear. The fear that came from threats and…

Visions.

“You have visions, I presume?” he asked, looking directly into Thor’s eyes.

Thor saw that the question was sincere and sighed. “Yeah. Have been ever since my Power Gem and I bonded. I… I get them, and they always come true. Always. No matter how hard I try to avoid them, they come true. I tell Emerald about them all the time, but he keeps saying that no Green Ranger has ever had them. He tries to help, but he understands that there’s not much he can tell me about it.” He sighed. “What would you know about them, anyway?”

“I have visions, too.”

Thor and Emerald looked at Tommy in shock, not sure how to take it.

Tommy chuckled, saying, “Yeah, they started a couple years ago, when Remonse was first presumably freed. I’ve been having them ever since, and I’m trying to understand why. Zordon thinks I will have a part in this war, but I’m not sure how… after all, both the Dragonzord Power Coin and the Tigerzord Power Coin ran out of power when we made our final attack on Rita and Lord Zedd. I can’t morph anymore.”

“How? In my vision last night, you morphed into the Green Ranger,” Thor asked.

“Hmm. If that’s true, there must be a way to restore power to the Power Coins, even if only for one battle,” Tommy mused, holding his goatee with one hand in thought. He shook his head. “Tell me everything that happened in your vision.”

“Well, first, I was in a battle with the other Crystal Rangers, and Remonse told me to destroy them. You and Dan both tried to stop me, and you morphed into the Green Ranger. Suddenly, Remonse told me again to destroy you guys, then I had a horrible feeling in my head, like it was splitting apart, and all I could do was curl into a ball until I woke up.” Thor shuddered again with the memory. “I don’t ever have real dreams anymore. Just these visions.”

Tommy put a hand on Thor’s shoulder. “Hey, look at me.” Thor did so. “Don’t ever hesitate to tell me if you have more of these visions. I want to help you out, Thor. I really do.”

“Like you can protect my family from Remonse,” Thor blurted out, suddenly standing up and going to a defensive stance, his hands in fists. “You don’t know what kind of danger they’re in!”

“Oh?” Tommy asked, his voice becoming dangerous as he stood up slowly. His face didn’t change, but that was what inspired fear whenever he threatened someone else. “I don’t know? Do you realize what it’s like to have to go through your life, knowing exactly what you did on the side of evil? Wondering if your teammates will ever see you as nothing more than someone who tried to destroy them – and nearly succeeded? To go so long knowing that although your teammates have forgiven you, you still haven’t forgiven yourself for what you did, even though it wasn’t even your fault?! DO YOU?!”

Thor’s jaw clenched. “You may have had an existential crisis because you decided to no longer be on Empress Rita’s side, but my loyalty is to Remonse! You know why? He will destroy my family if I don’t! I’ve already lost my sister to him; I won’t lose anyone else!” Thor yelled back.

“Empress Rita – are you hearing yourself?! Do you realize what Remonse allowed himself to become when he joined Rita’s side? He became just as evil as her! He lost his bond with Emerald and the green Power Gem! That will happen to you, too, unless you stop this!”

Emerald suddenly looked uncomfortable, then flew over to Tommy and perched on Tommy’s shoulder. “It’s true, Thor. When Remonse and I were trapped in the Appalachians, our bond was broken. He still has his natural powers, of course, but he can’t use the power of the green Power Gem anymore. It’s a result of his corruption to evil. No evil one can use the power of the Power Gems. No one.”

Thor looked between Tommy and Emerald, then sighed as he relaxed his body.

“I lost my sister to Remonse because I tried to fight back once. I won’t let that happen with anybody else in my family. That’s why I am sided with Remonse, why my loyalty is to him. I can’t allow him to kill the rest of my family. I can’t let him.”

Tommy calmed down, as well, then took a step closer to Thor. He put a hand on Thor’s shoulder, saying, “Thor, I’m sorry that you were put in that situation. We’ll find a way to protect your family from him, I promise. For now, though, let’s get focused on this lesson,” he added, bringing them back to the present.

Emerald flew off of Tommy’s shoulder, perching on a shelf nearby as they continued their lesson. Thor was definitely more focused now, following the lesson well. Tommy and he stopped after a while, and Tommy noted, “You still need to work on those last few bits, but other than that, you’re learning quite fast. I’m proud of ya.”

Thor beamed. “Thanks, Tommy. And Tommy?”

“Yes?”

“I hope we find a way to beat Remonse.”

“Me, too, Thor. Me, too.”

Thor and Tommy went to the locker room with Emerald in tow, changing back into their regular clothes after taking showers. Thor caught himself looking all over Tommy’s muscular body, including… down there… for a moment before his eyes shot back up to the shower knobs. He heard Tommy chuckle for a moment.

“That’s all right, Thor, I don’t mind.”

Thor felt his face turn bright red, but he tried at a smile. “Thanks… I guess….”

“You’re not out of the closet yet, are you?” Tommy asked.

“No, not really… my parents would disown me if they found out I was queer.”

“Ah, I get ya. Yeah, I thought so, too, for my parents, so I waited until I had moved out to tell them. By that time, it was out of their hands, so they didn’t really care. You could do something like that.”

“Yeah, I think I will. Thanks.”

“Anytime.”

Thor paused a moment. “So you’re queer?”

“Yeah. Gay, to be precise. I mean, I was able to pass as straight because I hung out with Kimberly so much, but really, I was crushing big-time on Jason. He was our Red Ranger before he left the team, Kimberly the Pink before she left.”

“Did anything ever come of the thing with Jason?”

“Nah. It’s all right, though, he’s happily married to a lovely girl.”

“I guess that’s all right.”

They passed the rest of the time in relative silence. Thor found himself looking at Tommy again, but always looked away quickly with a fiery blush.

Tommy chuckled as they left, Emerald hiding in Thor’s backpack again. “Ya know, if I wasn’t a professor, I’d ask you on a date. It’s not ethical, though, so I’ll let you get back to your team. And Thor?” Thor looked back. “Please don’t keep this a secret. You and Remonse. Please, for your teammates. It’s the best thing you can do for them.”

Thor hesitated, then nodded, turning back and going out of the locker room, leaving Tommy behind.


	6. The First Monster

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Remonse releases his first monster to attack the Crystal Rangers, and nightmares abound. It's up to Tommy to help them out.

Thor arrived at Ranger Hall and walked up to the third floor, sighing as he opened his dorm room door.

Blake, to his surprise, was sitting on the windowsill between his bed and Dan’s.

“Blake, what are you doing here?” Thor asked, setting his things down and letting Emerald out.

“You met Professor Oliver, right?” Blake asked, Diamond perched on her shoulder.

“Yeah, but what –“

“You know he’s the Green Ranger? Or, at least, the last one?”

“Yeah.”

“Good. Just know – he knows about you, too, to some extent.”

“I’ve already told him. He wants me to tell everyone else, too.”

“You should, Thor. They’re our _team_. You shouldn’t have to hide this from everyone.”

“You don’t know what I know, Blake.”

“Oh, I have a pretty good idea. Like that mirror being a way for Remonse to spy on you.”

“What? That’s a communication mirror!”

“It’s also a magical spy camera. Let me show you.”

Thor went over to his desk, where the mirror was being kept. Blake pointed out some magical runes on the edges of the mirror, and Blake finally realized that there was definitely something wrong there.

“How do you know all of this?” Thor finally asked Blake.

“I’ve been doing investigations freelance since I was little,” Blake explained, “and when Diamond and I bonded, I found out that Diamond likes that kind of thing, too. Diamond’s the first one to tell me about Remonse and the suspicion that he’s on the brink of being freed. Is he free?”

Thor sighed before sitting down at his desk chair, Blake perching herself on the bed. “Yes. I dug him out in the Appalachians, although he’s made himself quite a palace in there. I’m not sure if he’s moved out into something else yet, but he could go out anytime he wants.”

“Unless there was something keeping him there,” Blake mused, her hand on her chin in thought. “Perhaps another enchantment from Zordon and the last Crystal Rangers?”

“I don’t know. He was able to harm people outside his palace before; he can do it again.”

“WHAT?! When?!” Blake’s face was one of shock and disbelief.

Thor hesitated, then said, “My sister…”

Blake hopped off of his bed, then gave Thor a big hug. “Thor… I’m sorry…” She pulled back again, asking softly, “Why are you still on his side?”

“Because him killing my sister was because I dared to defy him once. I… I tried to find the other Crystal Rangers, to ask them for help in defeating Remonse, but he found out… I still don’t know how, but he found out… and he… he sent his clay minions to kill her. The last I saw of her alive was when they were about to toss her over the edge of the Empire State Building. Emerald wasn’t with me, and I could only watch as they threw her, and he got me out of there before the police came. They ruled it a suicide, but no one knew why. I couldn’t face my family – or anyone – after that. He warned me that if I did it again, he would do the same to the rest of my family.”

Blake offered him another hug, which he accepted. Diamond hugged him, too, and although it was odd being hugged by both a DragonZord guardian and a human, it helped ease the pain of the moment, if only a little.

Suddenly, their communicators beeped. Thor pressed a button on his, saying, “What is it, guys?”

“Thor, Blake, you are needed down in the Quad. There is a Nightmare on the loose there, and the Crystal Rangers are being overwhelmed,” Zordon informed them.

“Thanks, Zordon, we’ll be there.” He pressed the button again, saying to Blake, “Let’s go. You know where the Quad is, right?”

“Yeah. Come on, I know a shortcut to there from here.” Blake opened the window then said to Diamond, “Diamond Wings!”

Diamond flew to Blake’s back, where he grabbed onto her shirt with his claws and, to Thor’s shock, morphed into her and became a pair of white translucent dragon wings! The wings were about the length of her arms, maybe a little longer (Thor couldn’t tell).

“Come on, Thor!”

“Uh… how did you do that, Blake?”

Blake sighed. “Oh, that’s right.... All right, DragonZord guardian lesson time! Sometimes, DragonZord guardians can morph into the ones they are bonded with through their respective Power Gems. In my case at this particular moment, Diamond became a pair of dragon wings on my back. I’ve found it very helpful on multiple occasions. Now, let’s see if we can get Emerald to do the same for you. Emerald, have you ever done this before?”

“The only one I’ve ever been bonded to is Remonse, and he never asked to do this kind of thing, especially since he discovered his own magical abilities,” Emerald replied.

“It’s not that hard. It requires a bond of not only body, but mind, as well. Now, just grab onto the back of Thor’s shirt,” Blake instructed, folding her wings back behind her back.

Emerald flew to Thor and did as Blake instructed.

“All right, now both of you reach into your bonds and connect in your minds,” Blake continued, and Thor and Emerald both closed their eyes and felt them connect. “Now, Thor, you imagine that you have a pair of dragon wings on your back. Emerald, imagine yourself as a pair of dragon wings on Thor’s back.”

As their minds attempted to do so, something went wrong. Something blocked the bond from fully forming, so Emerald was able to turn into dragon wings, but he had to keep himself fastened on Thor’s back by making his legs longer and clasping them at Thor’s chest.

Blake held her chin in thought, saying, “Hmmm….. Something’s not right.” She shook her head. “Oh well, we need to get to the quad. Thor, can you move the wings?”

Thor attempted to, but he found that he couldn’t even connect with them. “I can’t!”

Blake sighed. “Okay, Emerald, you’ll have to do the flying until we can figure out what went wrong. This is supposed to be the simplest and easiest thing to do that bonds DragonZord and bonded. Come on, let’s go get that Nightmare.”

Thor nodded, then they went, one by one, out the window, and Emerald flapped his wings hard just to keep himself and Thor going. Once they got to the Quad, Emerald got Thor on the ground, then morphed back to his normal self while Diamond did the same. When they saw Nightmare, they shivered. Nightmare looked like solid shadows, if that was possible. The shadows seemed to come out in tendrils from Nightmare, and one was in each of the other Crystal Rangers. Two eyes and a mouth could be discernable from the shadows, and it was becoming clear that Nightmare was only becoming more powerful.

“Come on!” Blake shouted over the noise that was going on from the battle. “Diamond!”

“Emerald!”

They morphed into their Crystal Ranger forms, then quickly joined the battle. Nightmare noticed the newcomers and chuckled darkly.

“Ah, fresh blood! This will be fun indeed!” Nightmare said, shooting two more tendrils of shadows towards Thor and Blake, who dodged them both.

Thor took out his dagger and charged at Nightmare while Blake took out her sword. Thor noticed and said, “No fair! How come I get the dagger and you get the cool sword?!”

“No idea!” Blake replied as they both attempted an attack on Nightmare.

When their weapons cut through, though, Nightmare simply healed back up with no discernable scarring whatsoever. Nightmare laughed.

“You think your weapons can hurt me?! You are more foolish than I thought you were,” Nightmare taunted. “Now feel the power of your own nightmares!”

The tendrils of darkness connected with Thor and Blake, enveloping their vision in darkness.

**Tommy Oliver**

Tommy noticed the battle happening in the middle of his lecture on the importance of Reconstruction after the Civil War. He sighed. He had known that Remonse would attack soon, but at least Rita Repulsa had the decency to wait until the Power Rangers were out of class. He then thought, _Well, technically, class doesn’t go out as a whole until late at night, so there’s no room to argue there…_

“All right, class, we will pick this up tomorrow,” he informed the class as he started putting away his things and clearing the whiteboard. “Don’t forget to start research on your paper for this semester!”

Although the students immediately cheered and chatted for the early release from class, Tommy was immediately out the door and on his way to the Quad – partially because his office was on the other side, partially because the Rangers were definitely in trouble.

He pressed a button on his old communicator, saying, “Zordon, do you see this?”

“I do, Tommy. Nightmare is a monster of Remonse’s that attacks the minds of his hosts, making them live out their worst nightmares,” Zordon replied. “Alpha is still doing an analysis as to whether they can be rescued by an outside source or not.”

“As far as I can tell, Nightmare’s only targeting the Crystal Rangers,” Alpha reported. “If we can get even one person free, they can start to hurt Nightmare! I think.”

“I hope,” Tommy replied. “Is there any way to give more power to the old Power Coins?”

“That wouldn’t be advisable,” Zordon warned him. “Nightmare seems to be targeting Rangers; you may be targeted, as well.”

“I’m willing to take that chance, Zordon,” Tommy said, but before he could say more, he was face-to-face with Nightmare.

Nightmare looked at Tommy and smiled evilly. “So, the Green-and-White Ranger has come at last! Finally, I can feed off of your fear the most!”

A tendril of shadow touched Tommy, but Nightmare could find nothing in Tommy to feed off of.

“What?! What is the meaning of this?!”

“My worst fear isn’t anything involving the world – I’ve lived with that for most of my life!” Tommy said as the tendril of shadow started enveloping him. “Mine is something that you would not understand – not at all!”

“I will find your fear, Tommy Oliver,” Nightmare threatened, “and I will gain my greatest power!”

Tommy was now completely surrounded in darkness, and to the outside world he would disappear. In the darkened alternate dimension he was thrust into, Tommy started finding different pod-like structures with a Crystal Ranger inside. He started walking toward each pod, then recognized the colors of each suit underneath the translucent pod casing. He approached the Red Ranger first, reaching his hand out and placed it on the casing.

Suddenly, he was pulled into the pod, and if someone was to watch from the outside, the pod literally sucked him in until he joined Dan in the pod. From Tommy’s point of view, though, he was being sucked into something, then fell into a desolate wasteland. Dan – who wasn’t morphed anymore – was standing in the middle of it, holding some withered plants as he looked around. Dan was starting to lose color, growing ever grey.

Tommy approached him, asking, “What happened? Where are we?”

Dan looked at him, then back at his plants, saying, “My ranch. At least, what’s left of it. There was… a huge drought, one only seen once in Texas history, and that was during the thirties. The crops… they’re all gone… we can’t pay off our debts… we’re going to lose the farm… we’re going to lose everything….”

Tommy saw Dan lose hope, and with it, his color.

“Dan… all this… I didn’t realize…”

“I didn’t expect you to know, Professor Oliver.”

“Please, call me Tommy, especially when we’re in Ranger situations like this.”

“Oh, okay.” Suddenly it hit Dan. “Wait… you know?”

“I used to be the Green Ranger, then the White. That was back in my day, though.”

“Woah… that’s cool.” Dan looked back at the ranch, though, and sighed. “Still… I couldn’t help them at all… I couldn’t come back to help with harvest, and the crop failed…”

“Dan, you do realize that this isn’t real…”

“How can you say that?! The failed crops are right here, the whole thing’s here, real as can be!”

“Look closer. What do you see that isn’t right?”

Dan tried to argue, but Tommy stopped him before he could. Dan then sighed as he took another look around, and he flippantly said, “Well, the crops are gone, there’s no cattle, there’s no color…” He suddenly stopped. “There’s no cattle or color. Even if we failed the crops, we’d still have cattle around here. There would be some sort of coloring here!”

The hope came back into Dan’s eyes, and his coloring started to return. Tommy beamed; that part of the battle was over. “Come on, let’s find a way out of here.”

“All right, but one thing first.” Dan held his wrist in front of his face with the Power Gem facing out. “Ruby!”

Dan morphed, and suddenly the world around them shattered, and with it the pod they were trapped in. When they fell forward, they were covered in sticky goo, but they were free.

“All right, we’re free!” Dan cheered, then looked around. “Uh, where are we, Tommy?”

“We’re in Nightmare’s world. Come on, let’s get to the other Rangers and free them, too.”

They both chose the same Ranger as the next one to try and free: Shawn. When they were pulled into his pod, they saw him on the empty streets, homeless. He, too, was turning grey.

“Shawn, what happened?” Dan asked his demorphed friend.

Shawn sighed and replied, “I never got anywhere in the scientific community. My theories were all seen as bogus, and everyone could scientifically prove them wrong. My career in geology isn’t going any better, and now I can’t hold a job because I can’t handle it at all.”

Dan offered Shawn a hug, which Shawn gratefully accepted. Tommy approached him and asked, “Shawn, take a closer look at everything. What’s wrong with the picture?”

“Trust us, it’s worth a look,” Dan assured Shawn.

Shawn sighed and looked around. He stayed quiet, and soon a look of clarity on his face appeared. “None of this is real, is it?”

“No, it’s not,” Tommy replied.

Shawn regained color. “So there’s still a chance! I can still find my true dreams!” He did the same motion that Dan did earlier and shouted, “Sapphire!” and morphed, freeing them of his nightmare and the pod.

“All right, guys, let’s split up and get three more Rangers,” Tommy instructed.

Dan went ahead and went to Marie, Shawn approached Will, and Tommy went to Blake. He looked at Thor and sighed. He would have to get Thor with everyone’s help. Each person placed a hand on the pod of their Ranger and were sucked into the pod.

Dan discovered that Marie’s greatest fear was her family discovering that she was a lesbian and throwing her out on the streets without a future in film.

Shawn discovered that Will was most afraid of failing as a writer.

Tommy discovered that Blake’s greatest fear wasn’t a single fear: it was failure in so many areas, such as a botched investigation, a failed spy mission, being discovered either as a Crystal Ranger or a spy or an FBI detective. That was extremely difficult to handle.

Once everyone was free of the single pods, there was one pod left: Thor’s.

Tommy said, “I think we should all go in to help Thor.”

“Why? What could he be so afraid of that it would take everyone to get him out?” Will asked flippantly.

Blake quietly said, “I have an idea of what you’re talking about, Tommy.” She said louder, “We all should go in and help. I think I know what Tommy’s getting at. Come on.”

She put a hand on the pod and got sucked in. One by one, everyone did the same, with Will doing it last.

When they all got pulled in, they fell into a dungeon in an ornate palace interior. Thor was trapped in chains, his attention not on the newcomers. Instead, Thor’s attention was on something else, and when the Rangers looked to see what it was, they saw that it was Remonse himself along with a couple of people that they did not know, the couple tied up above a seemingly bottomless pit.

Thor was screaming, “NO! Don’t do this! I’ll do anything, just don’t do this!”

“You dared to defy me and tried to destroy me with your fellow Crystal Rangers,” Remonse replied. “Now you must suffer the consequences!”

“Thor, please, help us!” the older woman pleaded with Thor, and the older man did so, as well.

Thor could only struggle with the chains as Remonse released shadow creatures which went towards the people and began tearing them apart, their ropes tearing, as well. The shadow creatures were ruthless, and Thor could only scream out, “NO!” while struggling against his bonds.

Blake went up to Thor and cut the bonds loose with her sword, and Thor ran towards the people, but at that moment the bonds frayed enough to let the people loose, and the two fell down, screaming in terror.

“NOOOOOOO!” Thor screamed out, falling to his hands and knees at the edge of the cliff. His face turned to pure agony, and he found himself sobbing in fear, in sorrow, in so much negativity that he couldn’t begin to fathom a way to get out. He had already turned grey enough so that the Crystal Rangers and Tommy could only see color in his blue eyes.

“You see, Thor? Now your fate will be the same!” Remonse said with a horrible laugh as he kicked Thor over the edge. “Goodbye, Green Ranger.”

Blake shouted, “Not on my watch! Diamond Wings!”

A pair of white translucent wings appeared on her back, and she dove over the edge and caught Thor, then swooped back up. Once she had Thor back on solid ground, Thor looked at everyone around him and took a step back, fear in his eyes.

“No, guys, you have to leave! He’ll get you, too!” he begged them.

“Thor, listen to me!” Tommy ordered, grabbing Thor’s shoulders. “This isn’t real! None of this scenery is real!”

“How do I know I can trust you?!” Thor spat back, but Tommy was unfazed.

“Because if you look around, you can see the single detail that proves that something’s wrong!” he said, giving Thor a little shake.

Thor looked around, then color began to come back into his visage. “There’s no color anywhere here. Not even Remonse is colored right now. Everything’s a different shade of grey, like in an old TV show…” The color came back even more as he asked, “So my parents… they’re still alive? They’re still all right?”

Tommy smiled. “Yes, Thor, they’re just fine. They’re safe.”

“So… Remonse doesn’t know yet… he doesn’t know!”

Thor’s color returned completely as a look of pure joy lit his face. He gave Tommy a huge hug, and Tommy returned it with a smile. Tommy pulled away and said, “Now morph so we can get out of here, bud.”

“You got it, Tommy! Emerald!” Thor shouted as he held his wrist up in the same way everyone else did. He morphed, and the mirage shattered along with the pod.

Once everyone was free of the last pod, they cheered – all until they realized that they were still in the Nightmare’s pocket dimension.

“We’ve got to find a way out of here!” Tommy said, urgency in his voice.

The other Rangers agreed, but no one could figure out a way to become free of the dimension.

“Wait, we’ve all seen our own fears… but what about yours, Tommy?” Dan asked.

“My greatest fear?” Tommy said with a smile.

“Yeah, isn’t it something about Remonse taking over the world or something like that?” Maria asked.

Tommy smiled bigger, laughing. “No, none of that.”

“Then what is it?” Thor asked.

Tommy left a moment for dramatic effect (because he watched too much TV that summer) and said, “That my students will fail and make me look bad. It’s not too bad though; I’ve got tenure. I’m just worried for them.”

Everyone looked at him for a moment, then everyone chuckled at his comment.

“Seriously, though, we need to get out of here,” Dan reminded everyone. “Any ideas?”

Everyone fanned out, then a transmission came in from Zordon to Tommy’s communicator. “Crystal Rangers ­– _zzt_ – read me?”

“We read you, Zordon,” Tommy replied, getting everyone’s attention.

“Alpha’s – _zzt_ – getting you – _zzt_ – as soon – _zzt_ – possible.”

“Zordon? Your signal’s breaking up.”

A moment passed, then Alpha’s voice came in. “Crystal Rangers, can you hear me?”

“Loud and clear, Alpha,” Tommy replied, smiling again.

“Great! I’ve just figured out a way to get everyone out of there! You will have to use your Power Weapons!”

Tommy nodded. “I think I know what you’re getting at! Thanks, Alpha!”

“You’re welcome, Tommy! Catch you on the flip side!”

Tommy chuckled at the old bit of lingo that Alpha had kept in his twenty years since the defeat of Zedd and Rita, then turned to the Rangers. “All right, guys, you’re going to have to combine all of your power weapons into a Power Cannon. I’d say aim it over there,” he instructed as he pointed to an area that seemed somewhat lighter than the rest of the dark dimension. The rest of the Rangers nodded, and Tommy continued, “All right, you’re going to have to trust your instincts on the way to do it. I’ve never been a Crystal Ranger, so I’m not sure how it goes.”

“Got it, Tommy,” Dan replied.

Will decided to take the first shot, throwing up his ax and calling out, “Obsidian Ax!”

Maria went next, shouting, “Rose Quartz Bow!” as she threw hers up, and it connected with the ax, the combined weapons looking like a crossbow.

“Topaz Daggers!” was Pandora’s cry as she threw her weapons and connected them to the Cannon.

Each Ranger took a turn adding their weapons, each calling out their weapon name:

“Sapphire Lance!”

“Ruby Sword!”

“Emerald Dagger!”

“Diamond Sword!”

The Cannon fell into Dan’s hands, and everyone took a hand in getting the cannon in place, Dan firing it once it was aimed. When the beams from the cannon shot the opening, the world around them shattered, and the black tendrils of shadow suddenly retreated from their bodies. The Rangers saw their chance, and once the Cannon was diverted to its original components they attacked Nightmare, their weapons able to pierce him now. Nightmare screamed in agony as he was torn apart, then dispersed into nothingness as a piece of a gem appeared where his eyes were.

Tommy caught it, and it glowed slightly before somewhat bonding to Tommy. Tommy could feel the power there, although he knew that it was only a part of it.


	7. Old Wounds

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Crystal Rangers deal with the aftermath of their first battle, and Tommy has a serious discussion with Thor about his loyalties.

The Rangers quickly went into hiding, then demorphed into their original forms. Tommy approached them and said, “Guys, you fought well today. We defeated Remonse’s monster, and we freed a part of a shattered Power Gem.”

“So that’s what that thing is?” Pandora asked.

“Yeah. Back before Rita and Remonse were trapped, Remonse and Rita found a Power Gem, and after it wouldn’t bond with Rita she shattered it. She gave Remonse the pieces, and now we know what he’s doing with them. He’s trying to corrupt them, make them into pieces of evil,” Tommy explained.

“So there’s more of them?” Dan asked.

“Yeah. I don’t know how many – Zordon never told me – but that’s the way I heard it. Let’s hope we don’t have too many pieces to find and liberate,” Tommy said.

“Do we know what Gem this is?”

“Yeah. Its DragonZord guardian was named Onyx, but after the Gem shattered, Onyx went insane and ran away, and we don’t know where Onyx is. I hope we find him soon…”

“Onyx? Are you crazy?!” Sapphire asked in disbelief. “That guy’s moping around in areas where you usually hear about Bigfoot or the Loch Ness Monster!”

“He’s been out of it since the Power Gem shattered,” Ruby added softly. “I’ve seen him a few times since then, and he’s not the same as he used to be.” Ruby turned to the Rangers, explaining, “Onyx used to be kind, compassionate, and he knew anything and everything about magic. He still does know all that, and he’s still kind and compassionate, but because the Power Gem broke, he’s more the kind of DragonZord guardian to go off on his own and do whatever he wants, which most of the time consists of making illusions to make people think that the Loch Ness Monster or Bigfoot are real. A lot of the monsters of the famous fictional stories are inspired by his illusions.”

“Can he do mind tricks and make people think their worst nightmares come true?” Thor asked.

“Yes, although he would only choose to do that second thing if he was corrupted,” Ruby replied. “So yeah, I’m not shocked that you had to fight a piece of Onyx’s Power Gem. If Remonse truly has the pieces, then it would come as no surprise to me if Remonse managed to corrupt the Power Gem.”

“I don’t think he did, Ruby,” Tommy said, holding out the piece of Power Gem. “This one bonded to me, and I don’t sense anything involving corruption. It’s possible that Remonse has figured out how to use the power of the Power Gem to make monsters like Nightmare out there. We’re going to have to be careful, Rangers. We have to remember that the Power Gem may be what powers these monsters, and it will mess with our minds in ways that we have never had to deal with before.”

“So what you’re saying is that another Nightmare could come along?!” Maria asked, shocked.

“Well, maybe Remonse won’t try Nightmare again after we defeated him,” Pandora pointed out.

Suddenly Blake said, “Hey, guys, what did you all see? As your worst fears?”

Dan took the first one: “I saw my family’s farm and ranch. It was ruined. The crops failed, the cattle were gone… and there was nothing I could do about it.”

Everyone took turns giving him hugs of empathy, knowing that if they were in his situation they would do the same thing.

Will took the next one. “I saw myself as a failed writer. A failure as a writer is the worst thing that I could ever be.”

“Mine was fear of failing in the scientific community,” Shawn added.

“I saw my family finding out that I’m a lesbian… and throwing me out of the house because of it,” Marie said.

“Really? You’re a lesbian?” Dan asked. “I didn’t really get that vibe from you.”

“Yeah. I do that to confuse boys. It works surprisingly well,” Marie replied, a tone of pride in her voice.

“Well, at least you have that,” Pandora pointed out. “Mine was being falsely accused of using steroids, barring me from anything to let me become an Olympic athlete or a personal trainer!”

“Can we all calm down, guys?” Shawn asked the group, holding his hands up in a gesture similar to his tone.

“At least you don’t constantly live with the fear of being discovered,” Blake spat at the others, “either as a Crystal Ranger or a potential spy or potential detective! Of course, I’m sure you all have that figured out, since you don’t worry much more about it than you would your stupid farm, or your writing, or your freaking sexuality, or your unimportant sports, or your science! I think the only one out of all of us who lives with a worse fear than the rest of us is Thor! Did you all see what his was?! He’s on Remonse’s side, and if he switches to our side in this war, Remonse will kill his parents! He’s done it to Thor’s little sister, and he could just as easily do it to the rest of Thor’s family!”

“BLAKE!” Tommy roared, and suddenly, everyone shut up. “I hope you’re happy with what you just told the Rangers. Look at what you’ve done.”

They all looked around, and they realized that Thor was gone, and Emerald had followed him, pleading with him to come back. Everyone suddenly felt shame for what they did and said, especially Blake.

“Thor… oh, no…” Blake said, “Diamond Wings,” and Diamond went onto Blake’s back and formed the wings again, and Blake flew away quickly, not going after Thor but rather running away from the group.

Dan was about to call them back, to reconsider what they were doing, but Tommy placed a hand on his shoulder.

“There’s nothing we can do about this now, Dan,” Tommy said softly. “Things were said that cannot be taken back. Each of them needs to think about what has happened. They need to learn that they cannot undo what they have done – on their own.”

“What if Remonse hurts Thor, though? We saw what he threatened to do to Thor and his parents – who’s to say he won’t do it, now that we know?!” Dan protested.

Will placed a hand on Dan’s shoulder. “Dan, he needs some time to himself. We’ll be able to know if he needs our help. This war isn’t just affecting us; it’s affecting him and Blake, too, and they need to be able to handle it the way they do it, like I try to handle things the way I do. We all need some time to ourselves,” he explained.

Dan sighed, defeated. “I just wish there was a way for us to help him…”

“We all do, Dan,” Maria agreed, placing a hand on his shoulder, sharing it with Tommy.

“All we can do is let them heal their wounds and rest their muscles,” Pandora added, adding her hand to Will’s on that shoulder of Dan’s.

“It’s the way it’s done everywhere else,” Shawn pointed out, adding his hands to Dan’s shoulders – both of them. “There should be no reason for it to be different here, too.”

Dan smiled at his friends, glad to have them all helping out as he was sorting out being their unofficial leader. He still felt he needed to talk to Thor and Blake, though, so he asked Ruby, “You know how to do that wing thing that Blake did?”

“Yeah. Just say, ‘Ruby Wings,’ and I’ll morph into your back and make myself into a pair of wings. Our minds are already bonded as well as our spirits, so this is simply another way to bond now,” Ruby explained.

Dan nodded, saying, “We need to at least follow Blake, talk to her and Diamond.”

“Agreed, Dan,” Ruby assented.

“Ruby Wings!” Dan called out, and Ruby formed wings much like Blake’s on Dan’s back, but instead of white, they were red.

Dan gave them a test flap before taking off and following Blake to talk with her. When he found her, she was in a deserted area outside the city, looking out to the distance with Diamond at her side, trying to comfort Blake. Dan made a not-so-graceful landing, and Ruby reformed into his original form, flying by Dan to help if Dan needed it. Dan quickly regained his balance and footing, and approached Blake.

Blake noticed him, saying, “What do you want, Dan? To apologize to everyone? To Thor?”

“I just want to talk,” Dan said simply, then gestured to the place by Blake that wasn’t occupied by Diamond. “May I sit?”

Blake grunted, but didn’t protest, so Dan sat there. “So you’re wanting to be a spy or a detective?”

“I’ve wanted to be a spy for the CIA or a detective for the FBI for as long as I can remember,” Blake replied. “One of my ancestors was Agent Pinkerton, the guy who caught Al Capone. I was inspired by him and spies like Nathan Hale, and I wanted to be in that area forever. I know I’ll have to start as a police officer, but it’s a start, nonetheless.” She chuckled a little. “My mother was against it, but my father was all for it. He taught me how to use a gun, how to defend myself if I needed to… he even taught me how to use a taser.” She let out another chuckle. “My mother hated that, but it was better than nothing. Then I met Diamond, and it turns out that he likes investigations, too, and I became really good at discovering secrets.”

A silence ensued, and Dan broke it, asking, “So you figured out that Thor’s on Remonse’s side?”

“Yeah, I did. Yesterday, actually. I noticed something was off about him when I first saw you two, and I did a little investigating. It wasn’t that hard for me.” Blake sighed. “I’m starting to wish that I never said anything about Thor and Remonse. It hurt him, and I can tell that I hurt everyone else, too. I… I’ve always had anger issues, but I’ve been doing so well recently with keeping everything together, I thought it wouldn’t happen again… now I might have destroyed the team…”

“No, you didn’t. The only one that’s missing right now is Thor. Everyone else is back at the Quad, waiting for us. We need to get back so we can start making things right.” Dan looked to the distance, in the direction where he knew, if he was close enough, he would see his family’s ranch and farm. “My dad always said that the first thing when you break a fence is to say you’re sorry and offer to fix it. We need to get this thing worked out if we are to defeat Remonse. We need to fix what we need to to get everyone back together for our team to be a team. I mean, this was only our first battle. Imagine if this becomes a normal thing for us to fight each other after we fight Remonse’s monsters.”

Blake shivered. It was a scary thought. “It seems to me that our battles will be more psychological than physical. I mean, look at how we had to fight Nightmare. I’m more afraid of what our battles will be like for us in the future. I mean, it’s bringing out our worst selves…”

“But we can learn from those,” Dan said. “I mean, look at Tommy! He was once the evil Green Ranger for Rita Repulsa, and now he’s bonding with Onyx! There’s still a chance for all of us!”

Blake looked at Dan, and saw that his face was one not only of pleading but of hope, as well. She sighed. “All right, I’ll come back, and not just because I have a class at 6:00. I need to talk to Thor, make things right – or at least start to.”

She and Dan stood up, their DragonZord guardians perching on their shoulders, hopeful looks on their little faces.

“Diamond Wings!”

“Ruby Wings!”

The DragonZords formed wings on the two Rangers’ backs, and they flew back to campus to find Thor, which everyone else (including Tommy – he didn’t have a class for a few more hours, and he had let the last class out early in the battle) was already doing.

**Thor**

Thor was already in his room, holding his Power Gem to the mirror long enough for him to transport himself to Remonse, leaving Emerald behind.

Remonse could tell from the look on Thor’s face that it was bad news.

“I already know about the defeat of Nightmare,” Remonse began, but Thor held his hand up, stopping Remonse.

“It’s not that, my lord. The Crystal Rangers have already discovered our secret,” Thor reported.

“They know about Onyx?”

“Indeed they do, my lord. Those other DragonZord guardians care a lot for their purple friend, and the piece of Onyx’s Power Gem from Nightmare bonded with a former Green Power Ranger: Tommy Oliver. He has put himself on a mission to find the other pieces of Onyx’s Power Gem that you have worked so hard to hide in your monsters.”

“Blast it!” Remonse cursed, pacing the floor. “Tommy Oliver… a former Green Power Ranger, you say?”

“Yes. He and I spoke of it earlier. He lost his power long ago, though, so the little power he has is from the Onyx Power Gem fragment.”

Remonse sighed. “Then we must not allow Tommy Oliver to regain the power he once had as a Power Ranger. We must make the monsters stronger if we are to destroy the Power Rangers for good. Good job in gaining their trust, Thor. Nightmare’s loss was… a necessary one. Without it, the Rangers would never trust you.”

“Agreed, my lord. It is a loss for us that they discovered the truth about Onyx, though.”

“Indeed. It is a good thing that I have you on my side, Thor. You know what would happen if you decided to turn traitor.”

Thor forced his memories down. “Of course.”

Remonse smiled. “You better go back. Your ‘friends’ must be worried.”

Thor bowed, saying, “Yes, my lord.”

He turned back to the mirror that was on Remonse’s side, pressing his Power Gem to it and transporting back.


	8. The Return of Onyx

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> An old friend of the DragonZords reunites with the Rangers, and Tommy's mysterious visions begin to make a little more sense.

When he arrived at his room again, Blake, Emerald, Diamond, and Tommy were there.

“We were worried about you,” Tommy said before Thor could open his mouth.

Thor smiled bitterly. Just like Remonse thought.

“Yeah, well, what did you expect me to do?” Thor shot back. “Blake here mouths off about not knowing what true fear is-“

“Let’s go outside to have this conversation,” Blake ordered, pointing at the mirror.

Thor remembered her words from earlier, before the battle with Nightmare, and nodded. He led them outside to a living area on the floor, then Tommy led them to his office with Emerald and Diamond hiding somewhere on Blake and Thor’s bodies. When they got to the office, Tommy shut the door and sat on his desk, facing the two Rangers.

“You were saying earlier?” Tommy asked Thor, hoping to finish their conversation.

Thor nodded, then said, “Like I was saying, Blake here mouths off about not knowing what true fear is when she obviously has no idea as to what I’ve been through! She’s obviously never had to watch one of the people she loves the most die in front of her eyes, knowing that it could have been prevented, knowing that it’s her fault! She. Knows. Nothing!”

Thor stood there for a moment, breathing heavily, a pissed-off face still on him. His hands were clenched, as well as his teeth. Blake stood still, shocked, taking a step back at Thor’s biting words. Tommy stood still, his facial expression not changed.

Blake asked shakily, “What… Thor…”

Thor’s voice was only quieter when he said, “Yeah… my sister was killed. I once tried to fight Remonse, especially when Emerald told me what Remonse really was, but he had warned me that my family would be in danger if I ever fought him.” Thor’s voice became quieter, his body shaking as he nearly whispered, “He captured my sister, took me to the Empire State Building, where his minions had my sister hanging over the edge. I was forced to watch as they let her go and she fell; I still remember the thud as she hit the ground. I still remember the blood flowing from her body.” Thor’s eyes were filled with tears as he leaned on Tommy’s desk, his fist clenched again, a look of anguish on his face as he said, “I still remember burying her, knowing that I could never see her again, hear her laugh, have another one of her tea parties with her, cuddle with her to scare away nightmares – for both of us. I can never have my sister back, and all because I tried to fight my master. You want to know true fear, Blake?” he asked, looking up at Blake with tear-stained eyes and face, the anguish very visible in the lines on his face. “True fear is knowing that there is a very real chance of your worst fear coming true, and having it be YOUR FAULT.”

Tommy pulled a chair up, setting Thor in the chair. Thor sat down, and Blake found a chair to sit down in, too, while Tommy found one for himself. Everyone sat in silence, and Blake could only look at Thor with disbelief and something between sorrow, empathy, and pity. Thor’s face was one of sorrow, anguish, and a loss of hope. Tommy’s was stone-cold, one that didn’t show any emotion.

Blake finally spoke softly, saying, “Thor… I didn’t realize….”

“I didn’t expect you to know,” Thor said, just as softly. “If I told you guys about my sister, then you would know about me being on Remonse’s side. You would know that I am a traitor in your midst.”

“You don’t have to be a traitor,” Blake pleaded. “You can still be on our side. You can still be on the side of good. You just have to trust in your team.”

“Trust in them for what?” Thor shot at her, anger and anguish still in his voice, silencing Blake for a moment. “To be able to go to New York City and keep Remonse from taking the rest of my family and throwing them off the top of the Empire State Building? To stop him from killing me, too? You don’t know what he’s capable of, Blake. You haven’t seen his power. He’s even managed to corrupt Onyx’s Power Gem. I felt horrible for helping him corrupt her, but I had to. He told me I was doing good, that I was accessing my power. I nearly lost my connection to Emerald that day…”

Emerald crawled up to Thor’s shoulders, brushing his scales against Thor’s cheek. Thor reached a hand up and petted Emerald.

“Emerald was my only friend besides my sister. I was so lonely… and so desperate… I thought it was the only way. That was the day Emerald told me what Remonse was – the day he and I corrupted Onyx’s Power Gem. I tried to save it, and I managed to get a few shards away from him. I keep them right here –“ he took out a necklace with a pouch on it from under his shirt “– to keep them safe. I never figured out how to make them the way they were before. Tommy… I think these belong to you now.”

He took out the five shards of Onyx’s Power Gem out of the pouch and handed them to Tommy, who held them close while they glowed, bonding to Tommy. Tommy took out the other shard retrieved earlier that day and brought it close to the other shards, and they began to fuse back together. Blake and Thor watched in astonishment as they did so, starting to show what kind of Gem it once was – what it could be again.

“I… I thought Remonse destroyed the Power Gem for good,” Thor said, his voice a gasp.

“It seems that they can be reunited,” Tommy said, a smile on his face.

Just then, Emerald and Diamond flew to the window and tried to open it. Tommy got up and helped them open it, and a dark purple DragonZord guardian flew into the room, crashing into Thor’s chest.

“Oof!” the little guardian said, its voice female. It looked up at Thor and growled. “YOU!”

Tommy sternly commanded the DragonZord, “Onyx! Do not hurt him!”

Onyx turned around to Tommy and growled, “He corrupted my Power Gem! He must be punished!”

“He was influenced by Remonse,” Tommy explained. “He thought he had no other way. He’s working to reverse what he’s done.”

Onyx stopped suddenly, looked at Thor, and saw that Thor truly was sorry – and fearful of the tiny DragonZord. She sighed. “Green Crystal Ranger… I’m sorry for the outburst.”

“You had every right to be angry with me,” Thor replied. “It is I who should be sorry, Onyx.”

Onyx placed a claw on Thor’s lips. “I’ll stop you right there. You obviously still have your connection with Emerald, so that counts for something. Just remember that you are, first and foremost, a Crystal Ranger, and keep that in mind with every decision you make. You’ve already helped save part of my Power Gem, and you have helped my bondmate begin to heal the Gem, so you are already starting to redeem yourself.”

“But I’m in danger of losing my bond at any given moment!” Thor protested, pulling Onyx off of him and holding it in front of him. “The longer I’m in league with Remonse, the more in danger of losing the only friend I’ve had since Freya’s death I’m in!”

Onyx let out a wave of magic, silencing Thor with a single breath. “Thor! Calm thyself!” Thor stopped suddenly, and not from the magic. Onyx sighed. “Look, I understand that you think that you can’t be a Crystal Ranger, and that your actions with Remonse are preventing your bond with Emerald to fully mature. You must understand that I want you to stay a Crystal Ranger. Once you fall to darkness, you will doom your whole team. You. Must. Not. Let. That. Happen. I get that you’re going through some shit with Remonse right now, but we need to beat him, and we can’t do it without you. I get that your family is in danger, but everyone’s families were in danger when you all bonded. You must realize that you must get past this little thing you have where you’re the victim. I get that yeah, you are a victim, but that’s because you had the unfortunate luck of meeting Remonse before meeting anybody else. I don’t want you to end up like him. You aren’t like him; at least, not now. You need to strengthen your bond with Emerald if you are to have a chance at beating Remonse. Just remember that, Green Ranger.”

Onyx released Thor from the spell, and the first thing Thor said was “My name is Thor.”

Onyx bowed its head, saying, “A pleasure to know your name, Thor. Norse god of thunder?”

“Yeah. My sister was named Freya, after Thor’s mother.”

Onyx smiled, then frowned. “Ah… I remember meeting the Norse god himself…”

Diamond groaned. “Seriously, Onyx? You do realize that was a hallucination?”

“Hallucination?” Emerald asked. “Onyx… what happened to you?”

“Ever since Remonse shattered Onyx’s Power Gem, she’s not been the same,” Diamond explained. “I wonder… Onyx, could you feel when your Gem Shards were being corrupted?”

Onyx shuddered. “Yes, I could. I still remember the feeling; I felt like destroying everything. It took a lot to keep myself from going full Zord.”

“Full Zord?” Thor asked, and Blake and Tommy leaned in, wanting to know.

“When the need arises, we DragonZord guardians can make ourselves larger, encasing ourselves around our bondmates,” Onyx explained. “Each DragonZord guardian can then combine to make the MegaDragonZord. Of course, that hasn’t happened in over 10,000 years – not since the death of my last bondmate.”

“You mean it takes every Power Gem to make the MegaDragonZord?” Blake asked.

“Yes, and it also takes their bondmates, as well,” Diamond replied, sighing happily. “Remember the last time we made the MegaDragonZord, guys?”

“Yes, I do,” Emerald sighed, smiling, as well. “I miss those days.”

“Same,” Onyx agreed. “I can’t wait to get the rest of the Power Gem back so we can heal it and make Tommy be able to morph.”

“Maybe we can bring some power back to… whatever Tommy used to morph back when he was the Green Ranger,” Thor suggested. “In my vision, he was a Green Ranger.”

“Vision?” Onyx asked. “You had a vision?”

“Not just one – many,” Thor explained.

“So have I,” Tommy added. “We’ve both been having them since Thor was bonded to Emerald.”

“Ah, I see… it’s odd for Green Rangers to have visions, but you I understand,” Onyx said to Tommy. “As you are my bondmate, we will share most of the same basic powers of our Power Gem.” Tommy nodded in understanding. “As for Thor here… I’m not sure if I can help. His path strays from the rest of ours, whether he chooses good or evil. He is not meant to be like the rest, that much I can tell.”

“How?” Blake asked.

“Because, White Crystal Ranger, I am the DragonZord guardian of time and magic,” Onyx replied, its face as serious as can be. “I can see through time, and I specialize in magic. Each DragonZord guardian specializes in something else. Emerald here specializes in illusions and performance. Diamond specializes in intelligence, Ruby’s the leader, Sapphire’s the tech genius, Topaz is our resident personal trainer, Rose Quartz keeps up team morale – don’t laugh, Thor, that’s a very important thing! – and Obsidian’s our realist. Combined together, we are able to combine our knowledge and abilities. That’s why the MegaDragonZord’s so important. That’s why we must get Thor and Emerald to strengthen their bond, and why we must heal the Purple Power Gem.”

“Wait, I’m the Purple Ranger?” Tommy asked, weirded out. “I didn’t know there was such a color.”

“Zordon thought it was an odd color for a Power Ranger, so he didn’t make a Purple Power Coin. Your Green Power Coin, however, is compatible with our Power Gem. You are able to transfer power from our Power Gem to your Power Coin to morph.” Thor slunk in his chair, and Onyx noticed. “What is it?”

“In my vision last night… Tommy was the Green Power Ranger,” Thor explained. “Not the Purple Crystal Ranger.”

Onyx looked at Thor, sadly sighing. “You still have much to learn, young man. Much to learn.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, that was the last chapter I ever finished! Let me know what y'alls think in the comments section! 
> 
> Like I said, I couldn't really see where to go after this chapter, so I ultimately abandoned the fic altogether.


End file.
